Architects Mayfair

Architects Mayfair

Architects Mayfair

Scenario Architecture is open for business and running at full capacity.

Work is progressing safely on all existing projects and additionally, we are in a position to take on a limited number of new projects.

By working remotely we are able to coordinate and deliver all required information, effectively run virtual design meetings and even carry out site inspections.

We encourage clients to progress towards submission of planning applications to avoid the backlogs which are building up in local councils.

With every crisis comes an opportunity, contractors are keen to secure new projects and it is probably the best time in years to tender building works and achieve competitive prices.

We ourselves have decided to proceed with our pre-corona plans to move a few doors down to a larger and newly designed space where we can continue to grow sustainably.

Mayfair’s elegant Georgian and Victorian streets exhibit some of London’s most gracious and historic residential architecture. Bracketed by Hyde Park and the legendary Soho neighbourhood, these elegant terraced homes attract top prices and demand innovative solutions for their renovation and extension, both above- and below-ground.

Scenario Architecture is a RIBA-chartered practice on top of the latest methods and technology. Founders Ran Ankory and Maya Carni, graduates of London’s Architectural Association, take a fresh, inventive approach to expanding and revamping period properties. Building an extensive portfolio of residential projects throughout London, they see the city’s most historic residential neighbourhoods as their backyard.

With more than 10 years of experience adding vaulted spaces and graceful curves to classic period homes, Ran and Maya have earned their place as London architects of choice. Their work has featured in magazines like Elle Decoration, Dezeen, Houzz and Ideal Home.

Scenario Architecture was established in 2007 with a vision to develop a uniquely collaborative method of design. Ran and Maya take a considered approach to their clients’ desires, placing their aspirations for a new, architect-designed home in high definition. The clients’ needs are the main drivers of Scenario’s process.

A beautiful, highly functional home is the product of a deep understanding and precise analysis of each homeowner’s unique lifestyle. That shows in Scenario’s work: tailor-made homes that tell the story of our clients – not ourselves.

The landmark project Scenario House, was covered widely and shortlisted for several prestigious architecture awards – including the 2018 RIBA London Awards. It demonstrates the firm’s successful approach to domestic architecture projects.

Architects Mayfair Your Mayfair project

Starting your Mayfair project

If you’re considering a residential architectural project in Mayfair, we’re here to help, whether it’s a renovation, extension or new-build. We created a brief illustrated overview to help you understand each stage of the process, whether you’re planning a home extension, renovation or new-build in Mayfair. Most architecture projects in Mayfair require planning permission from the City of Westminster. With our successful record securing planning permission on behalf of our clients, we can claim home advantage across historic London.

Tip

Discover if your chosen architect has had success steering planning applications through your local council. Visit the "planning applications" page of your council's website and enter the architect’s name in the search criteria.

Architects Mayfair

Advice

We have created guides for homeowners to provide additional advice and help with your project.
The following eBooks are currently available for you to download:

1. Planning in London and the home counties - A guide for homeowners
2. Self build - A guide to building your own new build home

Architects Mayfair Your Mayfair project >> Scenario Architecture

Working with Scenario Architecture on your Mayfair project

Scenario Architecture is a boutique architecture studio focused on high-end residential projects in and around London. We tackle domestic projects of every scale and complexity, from interior refurbishments to full renovations and new-builds, through our bespoke architecture service.

Our friendly, experienced, highly skilled team can take you through the challenge of designing your new space, step-by-step. We’ll collaborate closely with you from the initial design and planning through tender and construction to the successful completion of your project. On time and on budget.

Scenario Architecture is a RIBA Chartered Practice. We comply with the strict criteria of the Royal Institute of Chartered Architects, covering insurance, health and safety and quality-management. Early adopters of the latest technology, we use innovative 3D design and visualisation tools as a standard for all projects. Our experience shows that real-time visualisations and virtual reality are extremely efficient tools for choosing finishes and fittings and simulating natural light. We also use 3D building information modelling (BIM) technology to produce reliable construction information, so all our project data comes from an accurate 3D model. Using this technology collaboratively with consultants and contractors is proven to save our clients time and money.

A Chartered Institute of Building case study featuring a Scenario project demonstrates the benefits of this advanced technology for domestic architecture.

Architects Mayfair In our clients words

Great ideas and vision to help with our substantial improvement of a Victorian terrace. In our experience Scenario’s method prioritises the final result. That may mean more professional fees or higher quotes from contractors, as they understand the exact requirements.

Great, professional service. Good drawings and models and ultimately passed planning at the first attempt with Hackney Council. Would certainly recommend!

Scenario Architecture have created an outstanding design and space that was beyond my expectations. The design was through their unique process of understanding the client’s daily scenarios and collaborating with the client to come up with a unique design. The design process is one of the most memorable parts of the process and they also stretched my existing ideas to help create this unique space. A stress free journey throughout the whole process which Scenario were indispensable by giving advice on many difficult design and build decisions.

We wanted to renovate our house in a conservation area in central London. Given this involved a complete demolition and new build with an extra floor on top, getting planning approval was always going to be tricky. Scenario did an amazing job on the new house ‘envelope’ and throughout the planning phase. We couldn’t have wished for better from them and having succeeded in gaining planning approval owe them a very big ‘thank you’.

Scenario were great at thinking imaginatively and coming up with a design for a ground floor extension that was more ambitous than other architects we spoke to. They also helped us find a contractor who was able to complete the project working within timescale and our tight budget. I would recommend for mid to large sized projects with sufficient budget to allow for full utilisation of their creativity.

FAQ

Architects Mayfair

FAQWhat is building control and is it required for my project?

In a nutshell building control is the means by which Local Authorities enforce compliance with current Building Regulations.
In practice there are two main ways to go about obtaining the required advice and certification for your project, via your Local Council’s Building Control Department or via direct appointment of an Approved Inspector who is authorised to carry out the inspection and certification on behalf of any local authority.
The role of either the Council’s Building Control Officer or an Approved Inspector is to verify that your project meets all current Building Regulations. They will review and approve all the drawings, inspect the actual work carried out on site and once the project is completed, issue the final compliance certificate.
Due to an open market, healthy competition between local councils and approved inspectors, the process and associated costs are almost identical. Having said that, our experience is that the private inspectors still feel and behave more as your appointed consultants and the council’s service still feels more like a statutory inspection and it is often slower and less responsive.
While it is always good to be informed and understand the process well, as your appointed architects we will take care of this aspect of the project for you and save you considering comparable quotes that we will obtain on your behalf and appointing the selected provider. You can leave this aspect of your project entirely with us.
Building control is required for almost all projects, and for all the projects we ever worked on as only minor renovation works may be exempt.

Architects Mayfair

FAQWhat is unique about the Scenario design process?

The scenario design process was developed, tested and perfected through over a decade of extensive delivery of residential projects within and around London, some of its key features are listed below:

Scenario based design – We start each and every project with a meticulous analysis of our client’s vision, requirements and aspirations. We do this by asking our clients to imagine their everyday scenarios living in the completed house and describe their desired interaction with it.

We then translate the resulting high definition brief into an informative and revealing 3-dimensional simulation, illuminating aspirations, requirements and patterns of habitation.

Uniquely interactive - Our client’s deep involvement in the process does not stop with completion of the brief. Our design meetings are highly interactive, informal and fun.

Sitting together in front of a real time 3D model of the proposed design with realistic materials, lighting and textures we push and pull the proposed scheme together to explore its full potential and drag and drop different materials to explore various options.
hen we invite our clients to take a virtual reality tour through advanced equipment that is always available in our practice for our clients to explore their projects at different stages of development.

Designed to reflect you – Based purely on your lifestyle, aspirations and requirements and free from externally imposed concepts, metaphors and pre-conceptions, a completely fresh and unique design will gradually emerge and it will tell your story not ours.

It will not look like an image cut out of a trendy architecture magazine and not designed to intentionally impress anyone. It will feel familiar, warm and inviting and you will recognise yourself in it because it will be a genuine expression of the unique way in which you and your family wish to interact with it and enjoy it for many years to come.

Architects Mayfair

FAQWhat is Scenario’s approach to planning?

Planning in the U.K in general and in Greater London in particular is admittedly a tricky business. It is a complex maze of policies, standards and regulations that requires specialised and up to date knowledge and skills to navigate successfully.
Over the years we developed a strong approach and an effective methodology, allowing us to maintain an outstanding track record stretching over more than a decade. Successfully securing planning permission for our clients across Greater London and the Home Counties.
The key aspects of our approach to planning are listed below:

Collaborative – We start the conversation with planners early and advise most of our clients to seek pre-planning advice prior to submission of a full planning application. Our experience shows that when properly consulted and liaised with, most planning case officers will be receptive to conduct a professional dialogue, increasing chances of successes.

Strategic – We tailor a custom planning strategy for each project based on its circumstances such as planning history, local context and specific challenging elements. We sometimes split applications or introduce minor tweaks to the scheme during the consideration period in conversation with the officers to prevent one contentious element from jeopardising approval of the main scheme.

Professional – Our experience shows that the quality and clarity of the submission in terms of background research, planning history of the property and context, precedent and of course the arguments presented to support the case has a tremendous effect on success rate.

Architects Mayfair

FAQHow long will it take to obtain planning permission for my project?

The standard consideration period for a residential project is eight weeks, this is the official time frame for your local council to carry out consultation with the neighbours and reach a decision.
We recommend allowing for a minimum of ten weeks from submission to decision as in practice the process always takes slightly longer for the following reasons:

The decision period clock only starts ticking once the application is validated by the Council, This requires then to check that the forms are completed correctly and that the submission contains all the necessary drawings, statements and reports.

Validation can take anything from a few days to couple of weeks when the council is very busy, which is most of the time…

Although required by law to provide a decision within the statutory eight weeks period, it is not uncommon for councils to miss the deadline of the consideration period, normally only by a few days, sometimes longer.

While there are some effective measures to apply pressure, which we do not hesitate to use when appropriate, it is generally beneficial for the project to bear with the council a little longer.

In some cases the council may ask us as your agent for an extension of time, this may be requested due to internal reasons or as an acceptable result of a professional discussion that we are conducting with them about certain aspects of the application that they are not sure about.